BY JOHN D. LESHYAND MARK SQUILLACE
The heart of the Antiquities Act of 1906 is a mere two sentences. But a good argument can be made that this brief law — which authorizes the president to protect “objects of historic or scientific interest” on federal lands as “national monuments” — has done more than any other to shape our nation’s conservation legacy.
The act has been used more than 150 times, by nearly every president, Republican and Democrat, from Theodore Roosevelt on, to protect hundreds of millions of acres for the inspiration and enjoyment of present and future generations. Five of the nation’s 10 most-visited national parks — Grand Canyon, Zion, Olympic, Teton and Acadia, each attracting millions of people a year — were first protected by presidents using the Antiquities Act...